Air conditioning unit



March 14, 1944. w` w, CUMMlNGs, JR .l 2,343,959 AIRV oNDITIoNING UNIT 1 A vFiled June 15, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 by CML, v. b/sl f :"Pnionio'd Mar. 14, 1944 William Warren Cummings, Jr., Cambridge, Mass.

Apnlioation Juno 15, 1942', sonni No. 447,117

(cl. 2er-so) Claims. The present invention relatesoto apparatus for conditioning air in. which the air to be conditioned is compressed, and heat is extracted therefrom.

An apparatus of this type for conditioning air is described in my. Patent No. 2,239,594, dated April 22, 1941. In that apparatus, inlet and outlet ducts connect a compressor with the room to be air conditioned and the flow of air therethrough is induced by a blower connected to the outlet duct. As theair is compressed heat is as it is compressed,

, extracted from the air by cooling coils so that its temperature is precipitated.

In accordance with the present invention, the air to -be conditioned is caused to impact, while moving at high velocity, with a stream of liquid, such as a water spray, moving in the opposite direction at high velocity. 'I'he -force of the impact compresses the air and at the same time heat is extracted -by contact with the liquid. As a result, the air is cooled and excess moisture is precipitated therefrom.

In its more specific aspect, the' invention con- Iis reduced and excess moisture templates an air conditioning unit which can be placed in a room to be conditioned and in which the air tojbe conditioned is taken in, conditioned and returned directly to the. room. The units may be of standard capacity and may Ibe distrib'- uted according to requirements. Each unit may comprise a narrow elongated chamber, such as an annular chamber, in which the impact takes place and which is provided with separate outlets through which the liquid and air is withdrawn after impact, the air returning directly to the room being air conditioned.

The operation of removingmoisture from air by compressing theair may be better understood by assuming a speciflc example: e. `g. that a given volume of air at a given temperature will, at the saturation point, contain units o1' water inthe form of vapor. If three such unit volumes of air, at such given temperature, but each containing 8 units of water (i.- e.; having a relative humidity of 80%) vbecompressed at ccn stant temperature to one unit volume, the latter will contain 24 units of water, but,` -since it can retain in vapor phasevonly 10 units, the remaining 1'14 units will be precipitated'out in liquid Iorm.- Upon expansion of the air to its original three. volumes, the remainingy l0 units of 'water will be distributed in the proportion-of 3%; 'units tion of the air toits original temperature. If heat. be extracted in greater amounts than reqired to maintain the compressed air at its initial temperature, the reduction of Water content during the compression stage willj be proportionally increased. I

Before explaning in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments 'and of being parcticed or carreid out in various ways.

Also it is to be understood that the: phraseology or terminology employed herein is 'for the purpose of description and'not'of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond `the requirements of the prior art.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view .of an Aair conditioning unit embodying the invention;

v Fig. 2 is a view taken substantially on the line v 2-2ofFig.1;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a' portion of the unit; and L Fig. 4 is a view taken upon the line 4 4` of Fig. 3.

. Therapparatus illustrated in the drawings is a complete air conditioningA unit and comprises a. frame or support I0 adapted to be secured by bolts II to the ceiling I2 of a Yroom to beair .conditioned and serves to supporta motor I5 and a substantially cylindrical casing I6. "The casing I5 comprises a cylindrical wall Il and subfstantially flat top and .bottom Walls I8 and |19- respectively. .A cylindrical partitionfZU is spaced from the wall vI'I concentric therewith: and extends -betweenthetop'o andbottom walls to pro'- l vide an annular passage` 2l for-water or'other liquid. The passagey Y2l may-besuppli'edI with liquid under pressure yby a pipe 22S connected, for example, with a' water main. The inner wally 20 -of the passage ZIJ-is t provided `witlra plurality of-fwater to eachunit'volume of air.; in'pther words,.the relative humidity will have -been re-v duced from to 25% assuming the restora- ,oi' apertures or nozzles? 23 ber v2l `is formed integral withI adapted'tor spray the liquid radially inward at highvelocity.v The inner edge ofthe bottomwall I9 .is formed with an inturned cylindrical-flange 24; the`Y inner edge'of which is enlarged and provided with a groove 25'. A downward and':ontw)ardlextendiiigv conical mem"` 'I he armature 'shaftA 32 of the motor :I 5- pro, jects thousha ifcentral i opening 533,inthe "top wall I 8 yof the'caslng and is `secu-redy tol the .hub 3." of an impeller-P by a set screw 36. The lower face of the hub 35 is provided with a central are secured to the -l normally open but across the leads 44 i noid 43 open cavity 31 surrounded by an annular wall 38 having a plurality of radially extending tubularv passages in each of which a tube 40 is secured. The tubes 4l terminate opposite but spaced from the nozzles 23 in the substantially annular chamber 4| within the casing I9. A liquid outlet pipe 42 communicates with the chamber 4| through the bottom wall |9 of the casing.

Spaced angle iron rings are secured to the tubes 49 so that their flanges 26 and 21 project downward therefrom. The flange 26 enters the groove 25 to provide a water seal therewith. A cylindricalring 29 is secured to the ilange 21 by rivets 3|! and is provided with a downward and outward extending conical member 3|. The member 28 and flange 24 form the outer wall of an air outlet passage 39, the inner wall of which is formed by the member 3| and ring 29. The spaces between the tubes 40 provide communication between the chamber 4| and the passage 39. A plurality of inclined blades 55 are positioned in spaced relation in the passage 39 and scribed hereinafter.

yThe motor l5 is supplied-with' electrical energy the motor.

The thermostat 4l may be adjusted to close the circuit to the motor l5 when the temperature within the room rises to a predetermined temperature, such as 80 F., and open the circuitwhen the temperature within the room falls to a predetermined temperature, such as 75. F. Similarly, the humidostat may befadjusted to close the circuit to the motor when the relative humidity of the air within the room rises to a predetermined amount and to open the circuit to the motor when the beenv lowered to a predetermined amount. The pipe 22 may be connected to a water main adapted to supply water to the passage 2| under pressure and at a temperature of about 68 F. Thus,

the circuit 4to the Amotor I5 will be closed by the thermostat 46 when the temperature rises to a predetermined temperature. or by the humidostat 43 when the V.relative humidity of the air rises to a predetermined amount. The circuit to the motor will be open only when both the temperature and relative humidity have been lowered to predetermined amounts.

Assuming that the temperaturen! the room is 17 F., the circuit to motor Il willbe open fand the valve 41 .will be closed. However, when the temperature of the room reaches. 80. F.,.the thermostat 46 will 'close the circuit to the motor and cause the impellery to be rotated at about 3600 ,lt.1P.v M. As the impellervisrotated, air will-be withdrawn from'theroom into'the impeller tubes 4l and will beiforced by the action of centrifugal forceintothe chamber -4| at a member 3| for a purpose derelative humidity has.

and and in parallelvwith prior be supplied under pressure and, for example, at a temperature of 68 F. to the passage 2l and will be sprayed through the nozzles 23 at high velocity to meet the air stream from the tubes 40 in a substantially endless impact zone. The

force of the impact compresses the air and condenses excess moisture therein and contact between the air and the relatively cool water permits the water to absorb heat from the air. After impact the pressure within the chamber 4| forces the water from the chamber 4| through the outlet pipe 42 and at the same time causes the relatively dry air cooled toa temperature of about 68 F. for example, to ow through the space between the tubes 40 and thence through the passage 39 back to the room. As the air flows through the passage 39 it strikes the blades 55 and thus rotates the impeller P thus making possible the use of a smaller motor than would otherwise be required for driving the impeller. This operation continues until the temperature of the room has been lowered to 15 F. at which time the thermostat opens the 4circuit to the motor and the liquid control valve. As a result, rotationof the impeller ceases and t e valve41 is closed to shut ofi the supply of liquid tothe nozzles 23.

The air conditioning unit is designed so that the pressure created within the chamber 4| is suiiicient to force used water into the outlet pipe 42 under suiiicient pressure to raise it in the pipe up through the ceiling partition of the room. The pressure created within the chamber 4| is dependent lupon the angle between adjacent tubes 40 which is xed by the number of tubes employed as will be understood by those skilled in the art. y

The invention provides a compact low cost air conditioning unit in which the air is withdrawn, conditioned and returned directly to the room. The units may be built with standard capacity and distributed in space according to requirements, each unit circulating air in its zone and being separately controlled. The only power required is that for driving the compressor, thus eliminating the additional power requirement of apparatus for moving the air from the space to be conditioned to the place of heat transfer and back as well as for circulation of refrigerant. Due to the great eiliciency of heat transfer only a small volume of water is required per ton of refrigeration effect.

1. An air conditioning apparatus comprising a chamber, means for conducting air and a relatively coo1 liquid in separate paths so as to meet while travelling at high velocity in opposite directions in said chamber thereby momentarily compressing the air and simultaneously removing heat therefrom, separate outlets for said air and liquid after impact to ow from said chamber, and means responsive to vthe temperature and relative 'humidity of the air outside the apparatus for controlling the' ilow of air'and liquid into said chamber. v

2. An air conditioning apparatus comprising a closed'cylindrical casing having an axial air inlet,an impeller rotatably mounted within'said casing to leave anannular chamber between said velocity of about300 ft. per second. This creates a pressure` within the chamber 4| causing` the switch .Il `tzo close thezclrcuit through the solethel valve 41. a Water then 4will impeller and the cylindrical wall of said casing, said impeller being adapted to draw air through said inlet andforce it at high velocity into said annular chamber, meansfor projecting a liquid at high velocity into said chamber in a direction tostrike said air in a substantially endless imlfor projecting a radially -disposed tubes providing communication pact zone, and outlets permitting said air and liquid after impact to ilow from said chamber. 3. An air ,conditioning apparatus comprising a' closed cylindrical casing'having an axial air inlet, an impeller rotatably mounted within said casing to leave an annular chamber between said impeller and thfe said impeller being adapted to draw air through said inlet and/force it at high velocity into said annular chamber and including a plurality of radially disposed tubes providing communication between said inlet and said chamber, means liquid at high velocity into said direction to strike said air in a substantially endless impact zone, and outlets permitting said air and liquid after impact to now fromsaid chamber. A

4. An air conditioning apparatus comprising a closed cylindrical casing having an axial air inlet, an impeller rotatably mounted within said casing to leave an annular chamber between said chamber in a impeller and the cylindrical wall of said casing, `said impeller being adapted to draw air through said inlet and force it annular chamber and at high velocity into said including a plurality of cylindrical wall of said casing,

between said inletand said chamber, means for projecting a liquid at higlrvelocity into said chamber in'a direction to strike said air in a substantially endless impact zone, outlets permitting liquid vafter impact to ow from said chamber, and means providing an air outlet having communication with said chamber through spaces between said tubes.

l and liquid after impact to tlow 5. An air conditioning apparatus comprising a chamber, means for conducting air and a relatively cool liquid in separate paths so as to meet while travelling at high velocity in opposite directions in said chamber thereby momentarily compressing the air and simultaneously removing heat therefrom', separate outlets for said air from said charnber', means responsive to the temperature and relativehumidity of the air outside the apparatus for controlling the ow of air into said chamber, and means responsive to the air pressure within said chamber for controlling the flow of liquid into said chamber.

WILLIAM w. cum/inves, JR. 

